Although many computer software applications exist today for performing various specific functions, these applications often do not map perfectly onto what the users want to do. For example, sometimes a user may want to present a portion of a spreadsheet application document in a presentation application document. But while presentation applications are good for presenting, they typically do not allow for performing specialized spreadsheet functions like editing spreadsheet cell formulas.
As an alternative, a user will typically make a “screenshot” of a spreadsheet application document (continuing the same example) by clipping out an image of the spreadsheet document cells they wish to present, and pasting the image into their presentation application document. Oftentimes, however, when the user takes the image the spreadsheet application document outside of its native spreadsheet application, most of the functionality of the spreadsheet application document is lost. The spreadsheet document image is only a static representation of a document associated with a spreadsheet application, rather than an actual functional spreadsheet application document. This limitation has obvious disadvantages. For example, the user may not be able to change the cells in the spreadsheet document image during a presentation because the displayed portion of the spreadsheet application document is static and non-executable. Moreover, even if the user is able to interact with the clipped-out document, the document may be operable only so far as the presentation application is compatible with the spreadsheet application. Specifically, the presentation application must be able to both display and interpret the data from the spreadsheet application.
While some clipboard-type applications allow a user to cut, copy and paste a selected portion of a document associated with a first application into a document associated with a second application, the operational format of the first application must be compatible with the operational format of the second application, sometimes to just merely display the selected portion. Even if an application can interact with a document associated with another application, the user typically has no access to the specialized functionality of the native application that they might need, which may severely limit the usefulness of pasting a portion of a document into another document.